Kilkenny to face Royal Portrush for Irish Senior Cup glory
Eileen Rose Power had a crucial 2-up win to help Kilkenny secure a meeting with champions Royal Portrush in the Irish Senior Cup final on Saturday.Defending champions Royal Portrush will play and Kilkenny in Saturday’s Irish Senior Cup final after securing victories over Castletroy and Enniscorthy in this afternoon’s semi finals at Portumna.
While Chloe Ryan put Castletroy into an early lead after defeating Lucy Simpson 5 and 4, Royal Portush proved much too strong for the Shannonsiders winning the next three matches without reply.
The second semi final proved a much tighter affair with the lead changing umpteen times. Enniscorthy raced ahead with the King twins Nicola and Jennifer giving the Wexford side a two-match lead.
Kilkenny dug deep and levelled the tie with wins from stalwarts Mary Dowling and Eileen Rose Power on the home green.
This paved the way for seasoned campaigner Mary Leahy Browne to step up to the plate, which she duly did holing from 5 feet at the last to book a final berth with Royal Portrush at 9.30am tomorrow, Saturday 17 August.
Earlier in the day and in the tie of the round, Kilkenny emerged victorious over The Island 3-2 with two matches going the full distance and a further two matches going to tie holes. Royal Portrush continued their recent dominance at this level securing 4½ points from a luckless Co. Louth.
In the third quarter final, home side Portumna raced to a 2-1 lead before Shirley Real and Fiona Corbett sealed victory for the Shannonsiders. While the fourth quarter final saw the King twins secure convincing victories as Enniscorthy overwhelmed a young Royal Co. Down Ladies side.
SEMI-FINALS
ROYAL PORTRUSH 3½ CASTLETROY 1½
Lucy Simpson lost to Chloe Ryan 5/4
Victoria Bradshaw beat Patrice Delaney 3/1
Helen Jones beat Lisa O’Shea 3/2
Naoimh Quigg beat Shirley Real 5/4
Hannah Henderson halved with Fiona Corbett (called in)
ENNISCORTHY 2 KILKENNY 3
Aisling O’Leary lost to Mary Dowling 1up
Sorcha Howell lost to Eileen Rose Power 2up
Nicola King beat Orla Dunphy 3/1
Ciara Sharkey lost to Mary Leahy Browne 1up
Jennifer King beat Ann Smee 5/4
QUARTER FINALS
ROYAL PORTRUSH 4½ Co. LOUTH ½
Lucy Simpson beat Deirdre Smith 2/1
Victoria Bradshaw beat Carla Reynolds at 19th
Helen Jones beat Jennifer Gannon 1up
Naoimh Quigg beat Oonagh Purfield 5/4
Hannah Henderson halved with Roisin Brady (called in)
CASTLETROY 3 PORTUMNA 2
Chloe Ryan beat Anne Cassidy 2/1
Patrice Delaney lost to Suzanne Corcoran 1up
Lisa O’Shea lost to Ciara Magill 2/1
Shirley Real beat Carmel McLoughlin 1up
Fiona Corbett beat Anita Carey 3/1
ENNISCORTHY 4 ROYAL Co. DOWN LADIES 1
Aisling O’Leary halved with Veronica MacGreevy (called in)
Sorcha Howell beat Anita McCaw 5/4
Nicola King beat Emma Dickson 6/5
Ciara Sharkey halved with Sinead McVeigh (called in)
Jennifer King beat Laura McCaw 4/3
THE ISLAND 2 KILKENNY 3
Gillian O’Leary lost to Mary Dowling 19th
Rachel Cassidy beat Eileen Rose Power 1up
Julie McCarthy beat Mary Leahy Browne 1up
Gertie McMullen lost to Orla Dunphy at 20th
Ashleigh Wilton lost to Ann Smee 3/2